Keira Mann, 23, of Gumdale, was sitting outside Wynnum Plaza. She is an unemployed nurse and she is bored.

"There has to be more for the kids to do," she said. "I grew up in this area and there just has to be more for young people to do.

"There is no music, no cinema, and we are just bored. So we rebel, we vandalise."

Ms Mann said she lost her job as a nurse 18 months ago and has been unable to find employment.

"I can't find anything in the area because the nurses are being cut back and the places – the hospital and the nursing homes – are being closed."

Jack Butler, of Wynnum Manly, said the area was starting to stall.

"There needs to be more things for young people to do," he said. "The problem is for 14-year-olds to 18-year-olds – there is just nothing for them to do. So they get bored, so they drink and they get into trouble."

Mr Butler said the closest movie cinema was at Capalaba. "And to get out there it will cost me $15 on a return trip in a bus."

Across the road David Schoenauer, of Wynnum, said he did not like Labor's plan to place refugees in Papua New Guinea.

"No, it is too easy for them to get into Queensland," he said.

"And I'm not into gay marriage, either."

He said neither of the two main parties appealed to him and he did not like The Greens.

"I have thought of voting for the mining bloke, Clive Palmer. "But I might vote for Vasta. I sort of give him a chance."

At Wishart, Paul Herbert said he took most notice of how the character and values of the leaders shaped their policies.

He said he was a "decided" voter.

"But I think it is my obligation to not be an overly commited voter, so if a party loses its way, it loses my vote.

"I lean more towards the Labor Party or The Greens, but I am happy to change that if the right message comes out."

At Cannon Hill Shopping Plaza, husband and wife pair Maurie and Olga Sciffer have opposing views but said the rising cost of electricity and shopping was hurting them.

"Cost of living is the real start of that because the cost of living is really hard," Mr Sciffer said. "Electricity and everything else has really gone straight through the roof."

Both knew Mr Vasta was their federal MP; Maurie dislikes him, Olga likes him. But she has not decided on her vote.

"It is mainly the cost of living and I am concerned about overcrowding and overdevelopment in this area. It has just skyrocketed in this area," she said.

Elizabeth Franklin, of Belmont, said management of the economy was her main issue.

"And the PNG refugees solution. I am interested in how much that is going to cost us because that is part of the impact on the economy.

"I have severe doubts about Labor's economic management of the economy."

Alana Owen, of Mansfield, said talk about both parties having to cut the public service worried her.

"With Campbell Newman doing what he is doing at the moment it doesn't look too great for the rest of the public servants, what with the pay issue and everything," she said.

About Bonner

Bonner is a large, wedge-shaped electorate on Brisbane's south-east stretching from Wishart and Rochedale in the south, eastwards through Mount Gravatt, Belmont, Gumdale, Tingalpa and Wakerley, out towards, Manly and Wynnum on the bayside.

It is held by the LNP's Ross Vasta with a margin of 2.8 per cent.

Named after the groundbreaking Ipswich indigenous Liberal senator Neville Bonner, the electorate appears to have three parts.

At the southern edge, around Mount Gravatt, the electorate is a suburban heartland with large shopping centres and retail strips along roads.

In the middle, from Tingalpa out along Wondall Road, there is a renewal of some residential areas, and more light industry and shopping centres are being built.

But it is at Wynnum that residents say the suburb is losing its heart.

33 comments so far

I remember that in the years that Mr Vasta had been the local member and was part of the Coalition government, he delivered nothing for the seat of Bonner. The Coalition’s shadow front bench spent years in government where all they did was introduce the GST and workchoices, sold assets and failed to invest in any infrastructure. Their glossy literature they have spent millions on is identical to the literature that the LNP sent out in the QLD state election. Makes me think that they have the same plan for Australia as they did for QLD. As a voter in Bonner I know who closed the hospital and sacked the public servants. Mr Vasta isn’t getting my vote.

Commenter

Sam

Location

QLD

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 5:36AM

So I take it your not voting LNP then.

Commenter

Tony A

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 1:31PM

Brilliant deduction Tony, absolutely brilliant!

Commenter

PeterC

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 9:01PM

Finally somebody's noticed us. What's happening here is typical LNP stuff seen everywhere across Qld and Australia but perhaps we're copping it a bit more as a traditionally ALP seat. Also perhaps there's some pragmatism. What's the point of spending money on a place that will probably quickly revert to the ALP? Indeed the place only got its heart and services because of great ALP members especially Tom Burns.

We've got two hopeless Fed and State LNP candidates. The Fed guy hasn't been seen by me even this close to the election (though come to think of it haven't seen ALP candidate either). Either Vasta doesn't care because he's in for a whipping or thinks he's got it in the bag.

Whatever the case certainly Wynnum's decline is sad. Extremely frustrating too as developers are allowed to keep pouring in high rise appartments bizarrely at the same time as services are vanishing. At this rate what's the point of paying taxes at all?

Commenter

dobbo

Location

Brisbane (Wynnum)

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 6:37AM

The Beattie/Bligh Government was in power for 15 years in QLD and the ALP have been in federally for the last 6 years and you've just noticed the decline in your suburb? Seems strange you expected the new state government to fix up 15 years of decline in 18 months.

Commenter

Oscar

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 1:34PM

the only thing the LNP managed to do in Wynnum was to shut the Hospital and Nursing Home , that's certainly some thing to crow about , my old mate a veteran of the 25th Australian Infantry Battalion and a man who had fought at Slaters Knoll on Bougainville had no family and was cast out by this State Government - it shows it how much they cared , not good enough , it was only because of my sons that his nursing care was paid for till he passed away 4 weeks ago - The Liberal Party of today is not the party I knew years ago , As to Mr Vasta - well what can you say - he does not care either he is as bad as the ALP member before him - pathetic

Commenter

Bob Menzies

Location

Beenleigh

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 3:22PM

Funny how everyone suddenly loves the Wynnum hospital when it copped years of criticism for being the hospital you have when you don't have one. The ER was little more than a GP practice, they didn't even have a radiologist. As for the nursing home well, I wouldn't have my least favourite rellie stay there..the staff may be good but the facility was a death trap. Come on , stop all this pretence of outrage. Ross Vasta has a low profile but he is a Federal MP...do you people not know the breakdown of responsibilities...no cinemas or shops.????.is not a federal or even state issue. If you needed to get advice etc from Ross Vasta about relevant issues his office staff were and are very competent with getting the information required. As for Mr Vasta's competition well who the heck are they? I see J. Fraser has returned to his" slick" Abbott, whatever that means and Bob Menzies has a story for every occasion but Bonner is my electorate...if you don't know it and you don't live there...in the words of the next PM "don't these guys ever shut up?"

Commenter

thereisnoyouinLabor

Location

brisbane

Date and time

August 25, 2013, 9:09AM

More evidence of the failure that is BCC and its so called bus review ...

Commenter

Ozbob

Location

Congestion Capital

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 7:00AM

C'mon Ozbob. Wynnum has a direct train to local suburbs and the city? Please. I'm sure a lot of citizens west of indooroopilly and south of wishart would love that infrastructure. I generally agree with what you say, but to say this is A direct correlation to the BBC is a bit rich. As you know with expansion to Springfield and Moreton bay there is only so much in the kitty. Let's thank the ALP with all there foresight for instigating these important projects. I previously said before the last election that Mr Newman believes in user pays. That's why CRR ain't going ahead.

Commenter

Beetle007

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 5:45PM

Bonner a taken for granted seat with a ineffective member who only comes and waves to people from the kerbside when an election is on